Improvement in tidal motive-powers



uietl tatea 'WALTER n. cLosn, onBANeon, MAINE.

Letters Patent No. 110,436, dated December 27, 1870.

IMPRov-EMEN-r. 1N' TIDAL Morire-POWERS.-

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the sanie.

Deriviug Motive-Power from` the Rise and Fall of` Tides; and I do hereby declare that the following is a fullaud exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The nature of my invention consists in taking ad? vantage of the rise and fall of the tides to automatically move machinery for ordinary mechanical purposes. v

The accompanying drawing is a perspective view of that part ofthe machine which is'essential to obtaining power,A representing the top, and B the upright face or front of a wharf or pier.

To enable others skilled in the art kto make and use my' invention, I will now proceed to describe its con` struction and operation.'

I construct -or use a wharf or pier, as A B, where the tide rises and falls, and fasten the upright beams or standards C C to the face of the wharf, as at B.

On the top of the standards I x boxes for and support the shaft D D.

.I provide a collar, F, and key it onto the middle of the shaft; or there may be two collars placed at thevends of the shaft, if desirable or more convenient.

I construct the two cylinders E EVof the properk size to tit onto the shaft D D', and easily revolve around it, and on thatend of each cylinder which will be in.

contact with the collar,-whether one or two collars be used,-I make grooves or form a ratchet.

I provide a pawl, c, and attach it to the collar F in such a manner that it may fall into the ratch et-.grooves on the cylinder' E or E', and I attach a spring, d, in

suc-h a manner as to force the pawl c into the ratchet as it revolves. This springlI should expect to vary to suitcircnmstanccs, and might ind it necessary sometimes to use' a spiral spring, and sometimes to use rubber. v

Then tlie collar is in the middle of the shaft the pawls to act on the twocylinders would be placed on Opposite sides ofthe collar, and the dotted lines represent c', which would represent c act-ing in connection with E.

I provide a floating weight, G, whetherconstructed for the purpose or obtained by using any ordinary floating craft loaded to the'propcr weight, and supply it with the mast H, (or, if desirable, ca-n fastena pnlley to the wharf, and pass thc rope or chain around it and onto the deck of the floating craft, without the use of the mast 11,) and attach a rope or chain, K', which I pass a few times around the cylinder E', as shown, and I attach a weight, I, which shall be heavy enough to revolve the cylinder E and take up the slack of the chain or rope as the weight descends, thus preventing any jar when the craft commences toascend. l

I-also provide asimilar arrangement on the cylinder E, and attach the rope to the bottom of the craft.' I coil thisrope or chain K around E in an, opposite direction from the coil on E.

The weights I I may be dispensed with, when desirable, by fastening the weight end of K at a', and fastening the weight end of K at l1. fastening both ends enables this machine or device to be used to drive a balance-wheel from the motion of a piston-rod, or it furnishes a method of changing reciprocating into rotary motion.

In operation I arrange all the 'parts in the relative positions shown in the drawing.

The craft G is afloat, and the tide rises, carrying vup the mast 1I. This draws the rope K, andthe pawl c' being in position, the cylinder revolves, carrying with it the shaft D D', both revolving toward the craft; at the same time, as the craft G rises, the weight Idraws upon the rope K, and'revolves the cylinder E in the direction opposite to the revolution of E', while the pawl c catches and holds the strain of the' rope K, preparatory to the fall of the tide. The tide now falls, and G-descends and draws upon the ropey or chain K, causing Epto revolve toward the craft, and .carry the shaft D in the same direction, thus keeping the revolution of the shaft D D' continuous in the same direction it revolved while the tide was rising. p

lhis arrangement prevents the possibility of the shaft Yrevolving in the opposite direction from the desiredone. A

Thus itwill be ,seen that the machine may be set in motion, and it will run without watching or tending as long as the tide rises and falls, if desired, un-

less interrupted by accident.

The importance of this invention can hardly be estimated, for it abolishes all accident by explosion, all damage from re, all expense of. fuel, all-expense of tending, and all wearing out of boilers, the only expense being that of the iirst construction and such trivial repairs as may be necessary.

This Vpower is faster .or slowerin proportion to the greater orlesser rise and 'fall of the tides, but it can be increased by gearing; and the original power is great, and can .be augmented by allowing the machine to run during the night-time and hoist weights which may be used in connection with the tide-power duringl In this way, also, a continuous power may be obtained in places where the tide leaves the following day.

the bottom dry for a portion' of the time.

This power is so cheap', constant, and so readily This method ofavailable that it maybe used in manufactures and operations which will not pay the expense of using steam-po\ver, and cannot profitably be carried to the location of' ordinary water-powers. A

What I claim as my invention, and wish to` secure by Lettels Patent, is y, f

1A. Obtaining a continuous revolution of a shaft, in a desired direction, by means of thc. cylinders E E', revolving in alternate directions on the shaftD D', \.and acting in connection with the stationary collarl,

pawls c c', springs d d', and ropes or chains K K', all as shown and described.

2. The cylinders E E', in combination with the shaft D D', collar F,pawls c c', springs d d', ropes or chains K K', with the weights I I', floating weight or craft G, and the upright posts or standards O C', all as shown and described.

Tituessesn Y lV. R. CLOSE.

` J. E. M. SANFORD, PHILIP CooMBs. 

